Automatic control-valve for water-heaters.



J. M. APPLETON.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL VALVE FOR WATER HBATERS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16,1912.

1,051,979. Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

l l l TORNE.r

JOSEPH M. APPLETON, OF LODI, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL-VALVE FOR WATER-HEATERS.

. T o al1/whom it may crm/cf n Be it known that I, JOSEPH hLAljrrE'roN, a citizen of the United States, residlng at Lodi, in the county of San Joaquin, State of California, have yinvented certain new and useful VVImprovements in Automatic Control-Valves for Water-Heaters; and I do declarethe following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawu ings, and to the characters ofv reference marked thereon, which form a part of this ap lication. y

his invention relates to improvements in a control means for electrical heaters used for heating water or other liquids, the object lof the invention being to produce an intermediate valve disposed in the pipe line carryin the liquid, which valve will automatical y open as the liquid flows through said -pipe line, which operation will connect an electric current with the electric heater. Vice-versa when the ilow of the liquid through the pipe line is disconnected, the invention provides a means to automatically close said valve and disconnect the electrical connecting means.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These obgects, I accomplish by means of such' structure and relative arrangement of the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding partsin the several views.

Figure 1 isa sectional viewof an electric heater showing the pipe line entering and leaving the same. Fig, 2 is a sectional view showing the heater and my automatic control valve. Fig. 3 is a detached view in section of the automatic control valve.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the

,numeral 1 designates an electric heater of any desired type provided with suitable circult wires 2 and 3.

The numeral 4 designates the pipe line entering the heater 1 and the numeral '5 designates the pi'pe line leaving the heater l Specication ot Letters Patent. Application led April 16, 1912. Serial No. 691,250.

Patented Feb. 4,1913.

and provided with an ordinary ld'raw-oif valve 6.

In applying my improved structure, I provide the pipe 4 with a coupling 7 provided with an inner shoulder 8. I then pro-- vide a fiat valve 9 suitably hinged within the member 7 and adapted to close against or move away from the shoulder 8 according as the liquid is stationary in the pipe 4 or flows therethrough upon vopenin the valve 6. l/Vhen lthe valve 6 is opene and the water flows through the pipe 4 it opensv such valve 9 which causes said valve to push against a rod 10 having a piston 11 movable in a cylinder 12. Such cylinder 11 is provided with another outwardl projecting rod 13 connected by suitable links 14 with a plate 15 provided with contact points 16 adapted to engage sockets 17 to connect the wires 2 and 3 with other wires 18 and 19 leading to the source of electrical energy 20. When this is doneit causes the electricity to pass through the wires 18 and 19 to the wires 2 and 3 to heat the member 1 and hence the water then passing through such pipe 4, heater 1, pipe 5 and valve' will be heated.

The necessary insulations and electrical connections for the members 16 and 17v are not shown herein for the reason that they comprise no necessary part of the invention as claimed and an desired form of switch with any desired insulations found neces,- sary can be used, jthe principle of the invention resting in the automatic control valve.

In order to guide the points 16 directly into the plugs 17, I provide an arm 21 pivotally mounted on the plate 22 carrying; the apparatus and also pivotally mountednthe plate 15. As will be seen this arm 21 being pivotal at the point 21a and also ybeing pivot'ally connected to the member 15 it acts as a guide to move the member 15 and incident'ally the plugs 16 in a fixed line of travel in order that they will at all times under all conditions move directly into place in thc sockets 17 when the valve 9 opens.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that when the valve, 6 opens the flow of the water opens the valve 9 with l' ioo forces said piston downwardl and closes the valve 9 and incidentally pu ls the points `16 out of the plugs 17 breaking the electrical circuit of the heater Il and thus ceasesto heat the water.

From-theiforegoing description 'it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of as donot forma departure from the lspirit of the invention. Having thusdescribed my invention what I claim as new and useful Aand desire vto sey cure by Letters Patent is device of the character described comprlslng the comblnation of an electric heater,

an inlet pipe c'onnected with said heater, 'an

outlet pipe connected with-said heater, a

valve in said outlet pipe, a hinged valve in said inlet pipe, a cylinder connected with the casin of .saidhinged valve, a piston movable 1n said cylinder, a rod connected with-said piston and projectin through the ends of said cylinder, one end of said rod beingflexi-bly connected with said hinged valve, "a plate flexibly connected with the outer end of said rod and carrying Contact plugs, contact sockets disposed normally independent of said contact plugs, circuit wires connecting said electricheater with one of said plugs, and Wires connecting the other of said plugs with a source of electrial energy, as described. l

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH M. APPLETON.

VVitnesses l STEPHEN N. BLEWETT, CLARENCE SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents` each, by addressing tle "Commissioner df Patents,

. Washington, D. C. 

